Guest Book Alternatives

{collage photo credits}
Green Bride Guide, Rodney Bailey, Style Me Pretty, Elegance & Simplicity

This week, I researched simple, affordable and eco-chic wedding ideas for an outdoor ceremony at Woodend Sanctuary & Mansion in Chevy Chase, MD.  Below, and photos above, are concepts that I found to share with you.

• Well wishes wrapped around a tree in the grove

• Hurricane glasses for guests to share advice, memories and good wishes

• A keepsake treasure box of notes

• A wish tree. I like this idea best because it looks like a family tree, is inspired by nature, is simple to make and will look beautiful in the reception hall.

The underlying component of all these ideas is that guests write down their wishes for you to treasure forever.

Favorite Things Tea Party

I'm really excited about this invitation!  It's for my daughter's 5th birthday party but it was quite a design journey.  Perhaps you've been in this situation.  You ask your child what they want for their birthday party and they respond with a bunch of ideas and or themes.  You scratch your head and say 'huh! what does that look like?' or 'hmm. how do I pull that off?  Well, that's what happened to me.  I asked Amanda what she wanted and she responded 'I want a Strawberry Shortcake - My Little Pony - and Hello Kitty party!'  Fortunately, all of these characters are girly and pink but I was stuck on how to design the party in a cohesive manner without relying on character paper goods and balloons.  So, below are photos of the final invitation design - the third attempt to create a fun birthday party inspired by the new fuschia dazzlers (pre-glittered flower accents) at Paper Source.

To create, I printed my invitation text on 5.5" white circle flat cards and adhered the flower dazzlers with Zots glue dots.

To assemble, I stacked the cards, the first and third cards right-side up and the second card upside-down.  I hole punched the first and the second cards on the right side and inserted a brad.  Then, I hole punched the second and third cards on the left side and inserted a brad.  Viola!  When you open the cards out they should look like the second photo - 3 cirlces in a row.

I mailed the invitations in a 5.75" fuschia envelope with a 4" circle mailing label and $.64 first class stamp (square envelopes require more postage).

I just dropped the invitations off at the post office.  I can't wait for my daughter's friends to receive their mail and RSVP for a fun party!  I'll share the details - activities, food and drinks, decor and more - next month!

Love Bug Bash Valentines Day Party

Each year, my family hosts a Valentine's Day party for my girls' cousins, best friends and their siblings - about a dozen kids.  Each year, there is a different theme.  One year, it was a silly Knock-Knock party; another year, a Royal Celebration (for my little princesses) complete with a chocolate fountain.  And last year, we had an Out-of-this-World party and made paper airplanes to fly through the house; that was a blast!

This year, I decided on a Love Bug theme - inspired by Sizzix rubber stamps (on sale!); they are so cute.  From there, I had many ideas to bring the love bug theme to life - most shown below.

The invitation; bug juice (strawberry milk) served in bottles, which were later decorated into bug jars; a love bug'banner' on the front door; and adult refreshments.

Food for this afternoon party featured a dessert buffet - cake pops, heart shaped brownies, sweet strawberries, and antique dishes of Sweethearts and M&Ms (or talkin' love bugs and cupids mix as I called them)

Decor was minimal but colorful and fun for maximum impact.  I focused on the dining room table where the activities would be conducted and the dessert table (above).  I wrapped the table in pink wrapping paper (Paper Source), set out a red table runner (from Christmas).  Then, I put faux grass mats on top and decorated with bugs - yellow bumble bees (both from Heart to Heart) and lady bug candles (from my home).

To keep the kids busy, we made love bugs - decorated (bug juice) bottles with heart-shaped stickers, pom-poms and pipe cleaners.  See photos above.  This became a take-home gift that the kids could use in the spring to catch bugs.

After a quick snack, we made cootie catchers - also known as fortune tellers.  I showed the older kids how to fold a square piece of (Valentine's Day print) paper, how to decorate with colors, numbers and fortunes and finally, how to play.  This was a really fun activity and game!

Lastly, we played Love Bug Bingo - hand-stamped custom cards with a lot of images for the younger kids and letters arranged for special sayings (B-E-E H-A-P-P-Y, for example).  We used M&Ms for markers - but could only play 3 games because we ate most of the markers! 

Later in the evening, as I cleaned up, my 3 year old told me that she had the best Valentine's Day party ever - and I think she did, we all did!

Thanks a latte!

Thanks to the Hip Hostess, I've discovered a new, ultra creative resource for serving latte (or cappicino) at your next event - the coffee stencil.  For $10, you can make quite impression on your coffee station and start a whole new conversation.  I love the stencil pictured above but there are over 100 stencils to choose from - text and images - or make your own.  Now, that's posh in a pinch!  Enjoy!

Eye of the Tiger

Chinese New Year is on Sunday, February 14.  While researching Valentines Day craft ideas I stumbled upon the cutest fortune cookies; they are made of felt!  Inspired, I found more great ideas to celebrate the 'Year of the Tiger' including delicious recipes.  Kung hei fat choy! Happy New Year!

An Asian table setting from brides.com

Felt Fortune Cookies from marthastewart.com

Pork Lettuce Wraps with Grapefruit from foodnetwork.com

Steamed Dumplings recipe and how-to video on epicurious.com

More ideas?

Clean the house to "sweep away bad luck"

Decorate with red for good luck

Bunch bamboo stalks together and wrap in red ribbon for a simple centerpiece

Serve your entree in take-out containers with chopsticks

Offer guests oranges, which symbolize wealth and good luck

Distribute red envelopes of money to children (that's sure to be a crowd-pleaser)

Berkshires Bound Destination Birthday Celebration

Save the Date for birthday fun in the Berkshires this fall!  Sounds like fun, right?  I think so!  

I started the year off designing a girls' getaway in Western Massachusetts for the first weekend of October to celebrate my client's 40th birthday.  I researched charming B & B's, zipline canopy tours, day spas, shopping adventures and local restaurants in and around Lenox, MA.  It couldn't be described as work because I was having so much fun exploring and chatting with local innkeepers!

Plans are still being finalized but in the interim, I designed the Save the Date invitation - truly a teaser of what's come.  The primary color is shimmer copper, which subtly complements the fall foliage and the invitation is printed on off-white cardstock.  The calendar design adds a touch of whimsy and is inspired by the Paper Source save the date.  Teal is a prominant color this year.  Combined with copper, the teal ribbon really softens the invitation and conveys the look of a present, the gift of friendship.

What do you think?  Please share your thoughts and opinions with me!

Like the calendar design?  Email me and I'll share with you how I created it.  It was so simple!

Wine Tasting Encourages Shopping and Inspires Mardi Gras Fun

Last night, I had the pleasure of attending the Wine Cheese and Chocolate Tasting to benefit 100 Women Strong.  The event was held at Fortessa, manufacturers of fine tableware ... and the best kept secret in Loudoun County!  Marianne Frantz, sommelier and owner of the American Wine School, gave an enjoyable [read 'hilarious'] presentation on wine.  Some of her tips are shared below.  Later, as we tasted wine from Sunset Hills and Corcoran Vineyards and nibbled on cheese, crackers and chocolate, we were encouraged to SHOP!  Fortessa has an Outlet Center (with a separate clearance room) which is open to the public.  They offer fine china, colorful base plates, whimsical serving dishes, lots of stemware and even nice flatware - and the prices are amazing!  I encourage you to visit, especially if you are shopping for new wine glasses for an upcoming cocktail party ... or something like that.

 I shopped.  I quickly found cute fruity cocktail glasses.  At the time, I was envisioning cool refreshing cocktails on the deck this summer but today, I thought these glasses - with their chubby bubble - could easily be used for a Mardi Gras party. Laissez les bon temps rouler!!

Food and Wine Pairing [Basic] Tips from the American Wine School

This is excellent and practical guidance for your next dinner or cocktail party!

Rich fatty foods pair with full-bodied Charadonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel or Syrah.

Sweet foods need sweeter wine.  Keep the apparent sweetness of the dish less than the apparent sweetness of the wine.

Spicy, salty, smoked foods require fruity, low alcohol wines that have no tannins and no oak like Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Pinot Grigio and Pinot Noir.

High-acid foods require high-acid wines.  Foods like goat cheese, tomatoes, citrus need wines like Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Pinot Grigio, Zinfandel or Pinot Noir.

Finding similarities and contrasts of flavor is subjective.  So taste the food, sample the wine and trust your palate! 

Love Bug Bash

I'm so excited!  It's almost Valentines Day and my family is hosting our annual party.  Above is the invitation to our Love Bug Bash.  The theme was inspired by the 'cute as a bug' rubber stamps by Sizzix.

The invitation was super easy to make.  I wrapped lady bug ribbon around a red flat card.  On red oval-shaped cardstock, I stamped and embossed the bug and affixed to a slightly larger black oval-shaped cardstock; with glue dots, I attached both pieces to the ribbon.  On the other side, I printed text from a Word document onto a pink flat card and then, rubber stamped and embossed another bug. Using glue dots, I affixed the pink flat card to the red card.

Also, I decided on a new font - Ability (myfonts.com).  Do you like it?

I have a lot of ideas to bring this 'love bug' party theme to life.  I can't wait to share them with you in the next two weeks!

Really Simple Posh Party Decor

I had barely scrolled through my Google Reader this morning when I came across a fantastic baby shower party (complements of Simply Creative Insanity, produced by Houses, Couches and Babies) which featured two great 'posh in a pinch' decor ideas.  I just had to stop reading and share.

When hosting a party in your home, you can transform the look and feel of your dining room or living room to complement the party theme with these inexpensive decor tricks.

1) Insert gift wrap into photo frames.

2) Embellish white candles with ribbon.

What's your favorite party decor idea?

Snow Much [Olympic] Fun

The 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver are quickly approaching (February 12), which means friends and family will gather to watch the Opening Ceremony and or many of the competitions ... figure skating, skiing and hockey are always the most exciting!  So, if you're celebrating, it's easy enough to pull out your 4th of July/patriotic decor items.  Go USA!  To create a winter experience, you can create faux snowballs (assorted styrofoam balls sprayed with glue and rolled in glitter snow); see inspirational photo below from creative outlet.

Want to incorporate some 'snow' items on the food buffet?  Then consider these snow embellishments:

Coconut

Powdered sugar

Marshmallows

And don't forget the homemade hot chocolate!  Enjoy!

Pushing Daisies ... and Edy's Ice Cream!

Tonight, my daughter will officially become a Girl Scout Daisy!  She's my oldest daughter and we're new to Girl Scouts (GS) so naturally I'm excited.  To celebrate, I wanted something yummy and fun for the girls.  My first thought was GS cookies but they aren't shipping yet ... and then I found Edys Limited Edition ice cream in two of my favorite GS cookie flavors - Thin Mint and Samoas.  I can't wait to celebrate!

What's Your Favorite Font?

I collect fonts like some people collect shoes.  I can spend hours browsing pages of fonts of every genre - script, sans serif, modern, even doodles.  As I review font options, I imagine how they would look on invitations, menu cards, place cards, gift tags, you name it.  Over the years, I've collected  a few fonts - but unlike shoes, my purchases are timeless, always fit and require minimal storage.  My favorite font is Satisfaction; see text below.  I use it all the time - though sparingly - to dress up invitations, holiday cards and mailing labels.  My 'signature' style is to use Arial for most of the text and then accent the title of the event or the hosts name with Satisfaction.  Works like a charm all the time!

{Satisfaction font from myfonts.com}

Today, I felt like shopping for a new font, a font for a Valentines Day party invitation.  I found a few contenders that I thought I would share:

{Sweetheart Script, Queen of Hearts, LDJ Flirt and Heart Beats from myfonts.com}

Another favorite font that is ideal for the Sweetest of Occasions is Love Light, the font I selected for posh parties, LLC (also from myfonts.com):

So, what's your favorite font?  Please share!

Yumminess ... Beyond Curry!

I believe that everyone should have a 'go-to' resource for food when hosting a party or simple gathering of friends.  Whether it be a favorite recipe, take-out menu from a local restaurant or your caterer's telephone number on speed-dial, I think it's a good idea to be prepared for company.  For example, I keep ingredients on hand to make a Pillsbury Crescent chicken and cheese ring for unexpected guests.

I have a new 'go-to' resource to share with you.  Often, I get together with other special event industry peers to talk shop, trends and techniques.  Last week we met and were treated to a tasting from Priya Ammu, owner and chef of Silver Leaf Catering in Bethesda, MD.  In sum, the food was fabulous!  Specifically, I loved the Sweet Potato, Pear and Parsnip Latkes with green grape chutney.  Below are photos from our feast (thanks, Kelley!), followed by the menu. 

If you are entertaining in the near future and want to offer guests delicious food -- familiar food infused with Indian spices, herbs and seasonal ingredients, please contact Priya.  Your guests will be delighted!

Silver Leaf Menu

Sweet potato, pear and parsnip latkes with green grape chutney
Red cabbage and ginger summer rolls with tamarind dipping sauce
Chicken lemongrass lollipops with persimmon coconut sauce
Crostini with edamame, sesame and tofu
Fresh lemon rice with golden cashews
Carrot pudding with cardamom clotted cream garnished with edible silver leaf

Inspired by Time

Season premieres of many TV shows are coming soon, like 24, which returns this Sunday night, January 17 on FOX (and Lost - my favorite - next month).  Some die-hard fans host parties to celebrate.  This blog entry is for you. 

I spotted the photo above on marthastewart.com in a New Year's Eve article but I think the "clock" look could work for a '24' party.  Just remember to set all clocks to 4:00 pm!  [Fans know what I'm talkin' about].  Enjoy!

Crafty 7th Birthday Party

Last month, just before the craziness of the holidays, my little girl turned 7 and we hosted a fun birthday at home. I kept it simple and it turned out really fun - so I thought that I would share some of the highlights in case you're hosting a scrapbooking/paper crafts party in the near future.

Theme

Paper. Scissors. Party!

Invitations

I purchased cardstock, envelopes, circle labels and cupcake sticker embellishments from Paper Source and made my own invitations, which is fitting for a 'paper' party.

Decor

For this 'paper' party, I covered my dining room table in moss wrapping paper with a rhubarb (pink)paper runner. The colors complemented the invitations; both materials purchased from Paper Source. It was perfect and I saved money (usually, I rent linens so this was a big change).

Entertainment

The best decision I quickly made was to hire Dianne Andruzzi, an independent demonstrator for Stampin' Up! She suggested some project options; my daughter selected to make Personalized Journals. Dianne brought all of the supplies to the party - the journals plus tons of stamps, die cuts, markers, color pencils, you name it; then, she led the girls in creating their own journal, and when they were done, she cleaned up. It was too easy for me - and the girls loved it; see the photos above! Thanks, Dianne!

Food and Drinks

The birthday party was held in the afternoon so I offered a few snacks. The trick was to offer something enjoyable for children and adults alike. So I served fruit salad and chips and dip, along with a festive Chex Mix, Buffalo Chicken Dip and Chutney Grilled Cheese sandwiches; see my previous post (12.03.09) for recipes. The food was yummy and easy to assemble!

By the star of the party table was the Big Top Cupcake birthday cake! Usually, I buy a fancy cake but my daughter saw the Big Top Cupcake on TV and had to have it. I bought it at Bed Bath and Beyond and we made it together. It turned out cute and it was quite tasty, really moist.

Goodie Bags

The entertainment played double-duty as each girl took home their personalized journal with a homemade bookmark that said "Thanks for coming to my party". To dress up the bookmark, I used a cupcake punch from Paper Source. Again, it was super easy!

Who Says You Can't Play with Your Food?

 

The weather forecast for tomorrow is snow, which got me thinking about fun winter-themed party food. A little research revealed some very clever ideas ... for the young and young at heart! See photos and links to recipes below.

My favorite has to be the donut snowmen but I really like the Snowman Sandwich, too; I'm always looking for new [fun] ways to encourage my girls to eat. I made the Snowmen Cheeseballs (upper right photo) for Super Bowl last year. I made a Pittsburgh snowman on the left and St. Lousi Cardinals snowman on the right, and let guests nibble on their favorite team!

Snow Day Sandwich Snack from GoodHousekeeping.com

Donut Snowmen and Frosty the Cheese Ball from FamilyFun.go.com

Coconut Snowman (made of ice cream) from MarthaStewart.com

Ring in the New Year, 2010!

New Year's Eve is one of my family's favorite holidays! We spend it with my husband's sister's family; she has 2 kids about the same age as my girls so everyone plays really well together. We alternate hosting but the formula is always the same - take-out dinner from Outback, followed by lots of playing and then, dessert and a toast to the New Year. Last year, we added a sleepover - and the kids are super excited to do it again this year!

While I'm not hosting the festivities this year, I know that quite a few of you are so I have some ideas to share with you. Whether your celebration is adults-only or family-friendly, I have an idea or two to make it posh in a pinch!

Decor

Above is a photo of my table decor last year. Using candles, I created a "Countdown" design. I bought 5" round [unscented] candles from Target. I wrapped scrapbooking paper around them (gift wrap will work, too) and tied with gift wrap garland (ribbon will work, too). I used silvery-glittered chipboard numbers and letters (from Michaels). To give the candles a little height, I turned my candlestick holder over but you could also put the candles on a [decorated] cake stand. To enhance the sparkle, I have a twinkly LED light table runner. Further, I wrapped the napkin and flatware with a piece of the garland and inserted a colorful noisemaker. The result was absolutely festive. The kids had a great time blowing out the candles as we counted down to the New Year!

Games

I came across 3 neat ideas for entertaining guests - 1) Bubble Jump and 2) New Year's Favors on marthastewart.com; and 3) New Year's Playing Cards on realsimple.com. I can't wait to watch my girls "POP" the bubbles!

Champagne

If you're interested in more bubbles, foodandWine.com has a great Champagne guide.

Toasts

Many toasts of New Year's Eve are best wishes for health and happiness, which is fine, but I came across a toast that made me chuckle; perhaps you will, too.

Raise your glass. Let the old year pass.

Just don't drink so much you fall on your a**.

Auld Lang Syne

This song is sung at the stroke of midnight every year yet do you know the words? Rather than humming this year, I thought I'd learn the words. Here's the chorus:

Should auld acquaintance be forgot

and never brought to mind?

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,

and days of auld lang syne.

However you celebrate the beginning of a new year, may it be fun and festive and surrounded by family and friends! Happy New Years! Happy 2010!

Surprise 50th Birthday Party

Now that the surprise is over, I can finally share with you a super fun event that I helped plan earlier this month - a surprise birthday party for my good friend, Erin. It was a milestone occasion so her husband, Brian, wanted something memorable but not too over the top. Erin and Brian enjoy good wine and food so I recommended the Wine Tasting Room at Trummer's on Main in Clifton. Ryan Francis and Victoria Trummer were delightful to work with; they prepared a wonderful menu and narrowed down the [significantly long] wine list to a few recommendations. The result was fantastic! On a cold, snowy night (Blizzard of '09), a small group of close friends celebrated Erin's big day with:

Hors d'oeuvre

Warm Mushroom Beignets

Dinner

Pumpkin Soup (my favorite!) or Oxtail Ravioli

Angus Beef Rib Steak, Nantucket Flounder-grilled or Butter Roasted Chicken

Chocolate Cream or Seasonal Fruits

Wine Service

Merry Edwards Sauvignon Blanc

Peay Vineyards, Les Titans, Estate, Syrah

If you're planning a milestone birthday party in the near future and want to keep it simple, I highly recommend a dinner party at a local restaurant. After settling on a menu and wine list, there is no set up or clean up fuss - just fun! Further, to keep the invitation simple, create a design in Word (or graphic application if you have one), print on white card stock, add a few simple rubber stamp designs and mail in a matching envelope. A simply planned event is possible for a memorable occasion!

From my dinner table to yours, Merry Christmas!

This morning, I was playing around with table decor. My menu was in limbo and I still had groceries to buy but I was anxious to decorate the table, my favorite thing to do when hosting a party. Like many of you, I've come across so many great holiday ideas this year (what a creative world we live in!) and remembered two table decor ideas. One idea was a "mitten" place setting (via marthastewart.com), perfect for any winter holiday/Winter Wonderland theme. The other idea was a "bow" place setting, as if wrapping up your china like a Christmas gift (via Next Door with Katie Brown). So, in a pinch, I tried both ideas out this morning and I thought I would share them with you; see photos above.

Using my girls new snow accessories, I created a snow man place setting, which is quite adorable, as well as a colorful hat place setting with a "chair sash" made from a matching scarf, which is quite festive, too!

For the bow place setting, I had red wired ribbon on hand; it looks pretty though I'm positive other people (like my mother) can do a much better job at making a bow. To enhance the look, you could also use an ornament tied to the ribbon. To complete my 'posh in a pinch' Christmas tablescape, I clipped holly and pinetree branches from my yard and put them in a glass bowl with Christmas ornaments (red glass balls and a sparkly snowflake).

These place setting ideas can be used for other dinner parties, too. As I mentioned, the mitten concept would work for any winter party and the bow place setting would be ideal for any "gift" occasion like birthdays and anniversaries.

However, you dress your table, may it be 'posh' (preferably in a pinch) and above all, enjoy your meal in the company of family and friends! Merry Christmas to you.

1950's Romance at the Torpedo Factory, Alexandria VA

By day, it's difficult to imagine the Torpedo Factory as a venue for a beautiful wedding reception; it has a raw, industrial interior. But at night, if you add a little atmospheric lighting it's like magic; the atrium glows with warmth and charm.

Last month, from a recommendation by Fusions Cuisine, I had the pleasure of working with a couple who married in Fairfax Station and celebrated at the Torpedo Factory. About two months before the event, we met to review and finalize plans. The bride had already assembled an A-list of vendors (Fusions Cuisine, Stephanie the Baker, John Farr Lighting, Sound Nation via Entertainment Exchange, Capital Party Rentals and Room Service) and I was able to help by recommending Galleria Florist, Reston Limousine and White House Nannies.

The bride envisioned 1950's romance complete with a cocktail lounge and big band sound. The result was impressive, very 'posh'. Photos above courtesy of Freed Photography.